Renault have hit back at claims they were using Kimi Raikkonen’s brief interest in joining the team for 2011 to boost their own image.
The claims come after Raikkonen’s management made contact with the team in early September, something Renault team principal Eric Boullier noted to the media.
Since then, the Finn has expressed his disappointment that his name was used for marketing purposes, a claim Boullier finds baffling as he believes his comments to the press have been honest responses.
“We have not piggy-backed on Kimi’s image at all, which is what he has been claiming in the press,” Boullier told Autosport.
“We were contacted by his managers after Spa,” the Frenchman confirmed.
“Since then, I had not got back to them because we had not finished the evaluation of the potential of Vitaly and there was nothing else to say.
“I never used the media, and I don’t see the benefit of telling the media that Kimi is interested and chasing us. What would be the purpose of this?
“You cannot be disappointed in his comment, but I do not understand why he is aggressive and accusing us of something.”
